Hempstead County
Also known as Hempstead County, Arkansas, Hempstead County, AR
county in Arkansas, United States
Key facts
- Country
- United States
- State
- Arkansas
- Founded
- December 15, 1818
- Named after
- Edward Hempstead
- Seat
- Hope
- Largest city
- Hope
- Total
- 741 sq mi (1,920 km )
- Land
- 728 sq mi (1,890 km )
- Water
- 14 sq mi (36 km ) 1.8%
- Estimate 2025
- 19,080
- Density
- 27.6/sq mi (10.6/km )
- Time zone
- UTC−6 ( Central )
- Summer dst
- UTC−5 ( CDT )
Article
Hempstead County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 20,065, down from 22,609 at the 2010 census. The county seat is Hope. Hempstead County is Arkansas's fourth county, formed on December 15, 1818, alongside Clark and Pulaski counties. The county is named for Edward Hempstead, a delegate to the U.S. Congress from the Missouri Territory, which included present-day Arkansas at the time. It is an alcohol prohibition or dry county.
The 42nd United States President, Bill Clinton, who served from 1993 to 2001, was born in the county seat of Hope on August 19, 1946. As of 2026, Clinton is the only President to have been born in Arkansas.